What Time Can Do
by CockneyBird3
Summary: Description is inside. All I'll say here is that this is a Buffy/Giles fic. If you like the pairing or my writing, please give it a shot and leave me a review. Chapters don't get posted unless i get reviews...Writer's Block takes over otherwise.
1. Absent and Witchcraft

I don't own Buffy The Vampire Slayer or any of its characters.

**Note: I have no idea how this story idea will work out, it was just niggling at my brain for three days straight so I felt the urge to do something about it. Long story short, I just got back to Buffy, I hadn't seen it in years then caught an episode on Chiller and BOOM...I'm hooked again. So i went on Netflix and am in the process of rewatching all the seasons. Also, I've been revisting(basically full on establishing) my hots for Giles again, enjoying now what wasn't around when i first watched the show which is FanFiction smut, haha. **

**Since I just finished Season two, and haven't yet watched the first episode of Season three, I'm setting this someplace within there. Let's say she's just shown back up, but not to everyone, just at Willow's house with an idea that only Willow can help her with. Also, I'm going to pretend she never left a note for her mother to get. In other words, no one knows if she's okay, what happened, where she is, if she's coming back..any of that.**

**I'd imagine this is at least somewhat AU, although it's real in my mind...so yeah, it's AU. I also have a sequel bouncing around my brain if this works out so be sure to leave me reviews, please.**

**I'd also like you all to know, I'm on terms with the tv series not the comics. I thought about readin the comics but then heard that Giles is killed in them. That pissed me off and I've decided I will never ever read them, they can go to HELL! ...okay, sorry, I'm just very sensitive about him.**

**Oh, also, this is obviously Buffy/Giles. If you don't like that, piss off and don't bitch at me about it. If you see them as just a Father/Daughter relationship, goody fucking gumdrops but don't give me shit cause I don't. During first season and most of second season, yes I see that, after getting to know each other and then the thing with Jenny dying and Angel becoming a dick and all...I think things changed. Okay. Enough of that. Here goes nothin.**

What Time Can Do

Chapter One: Absent and Witchcraft

Willow was laying on her bed in the dark, wishing she could fall asleep but finding that her mind was too preoccupied. She wondered where her friend might be, who she was with, what was happening. Most of all, she wondered when Buffy would come back. Trying to not wonder "if" she would come back.

She had to, didn't she? School was one thing that Willow could see Buffy being drastic enough to quit but not her friends and family. Not Joyce, not her and Xander. Then, Giles was her Watcher, she couldn't just abandon him could she? Certainly there was something that would bring her back. They had all been through too much together for Buffy to just quit and leave forever, right?

Willow sighed and shook her head, wanting to get these thoughts and worries off her mind before she started crying. Her mind compromised with her and made her worry about her friends that were still here now. How was Xander taking all this? He couldn't be happy. He probably thought Buffy ran off with Angel and was furious. Furious, because like herself, he feared heartbreak was coming soon. I mean, shucks, even Cordelia had to be upset. If even because she was scared without Buffy there to protect them all.

Then there was Giles. He couldn't be dealing with this lightly at all. He wasn't really just a Watcher to them all anymore, he was a friend for life. After the hurt he'd just gone through, he couldn't be healing well not knowing if Buffy was safe or not. None of this was fair, not in any way. She hoped he wasn't drinking or something. She thought about calling everyone and taking the time to talk to each of them but didn't want to wake them up in the middle of the night, just in case they were asleep.

Xxxxxx

Xander and Cordelia were in her car, outside his house.

"I really gotta get home before my mom freaks." she said. He sighed and nodded.

"Yeah." he replied. She set her hand on his shoulder and actually looked concerned about him instead of herself for once.

"You okay?"

"I'm just worried."

"I know, it's not fair. Where does she get to thinking that it's okay to leave us worried about her? I mean, I'm losing sleep. That's not good at all for my appearance." she rambled, he rolled his eyes and gave her a condescending look.

"Only one problem with that, Cordie. You're not Sleeping Beauty, you're the Wicked Witch Of The West."

"Funny you say that, cause you're kiss would turn you into a frog rather than the other way around." she snarled back. He smirked.

"That would be a great comeback, if it made sense!"

"It made sense!"

"No, it didn't."

"Whatever. Really though, you think she's okay?" asked Cordie, he sobered up and sighed again, looking at her with worry filling his soft brown eyes.

"I don't know. If she's with Angel again, after what he's done, I'll kill her the next time I see her." he said, bitterly.

"You don't mean that. She could beat you in a fight anyway."

"That's not the point, Cordie! I just...I want her to come back, alive, whole, without that monster in tow."

"Yeah, me too. It's not the same without all you weirdos together." she replied, he glared at her and his glare softened when he saw she was slightly smiling.

"No, it's not. Well, I'll...I'll go." he said, opening his door. He leaned over and kissed her before leaving. She watched him go into the house, sighing then driving home.

Xxxxxx

Giles sat in one of the chairs in the library, trying to read the book in his hands. When he'd accomplished nothing but reading the same sentence six times without taking any of the words in, he sighed and set it down on the table. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in a futile attempt to silence his thoughts.

He opened his eyes again and stared at the bottle of scotch and glass he'd brought from home. He brought it as a last resort and had hoped he wouldn't have to use it. Ignoring the slight guilt for drinking in his workplace, he opened the bottle and filled his glass.

Taking a big gulp of it, he waited for it to begin working it's magic. He sighed in disappointment when it didn't loosen the tight worry in his chest at all. Rubbing his tired eyes, he wondered if he shouldn't just go home.

He couldn't though, this would be the first place she'd come looking for him most likely. If she came back. After what she'd gone through, she might have just given up for all he knew. He'd thought she was stronger than that, then again, she was only human. She could only take so much.

Guilt overwhelmed him again, he hadn't done his job well enough. That's why she was gone. That's why she was dealing with more than she should be, because of him. The only part of his worst fear so far that hadn't come true is that she wasn't dead, for all he knew.

The hurt in his chest, from the physical torture earlier and the emotional torture now, was killing him. The emotional torture part was pushing a lump up into his throat and threatening to make his eyes spill out tears. The only thing he had left that was keeping him holding on, was the hope that she was alright and just taking some time away.

Aside from that, he felt it was just fine to feel an inch away from a complete nervous breakdown. What he'd spent his life initially fighting to become, then finally accepting, then perillously training to become, he'd failed at. At least it seemed as such right now. He'd let things get way out of hand, in more way than one and now his Slayer was gone.

The poor girl who'd just wanted a normal life, the poor girl who'd hit him not long ago because she thought she'd lost him then cried with him was gone, gone because he wasn't good enough. She couldn't at least call? Just to say she was okay and taking a break? Even just to tell him he was a failure and that she wasn't coming back? Just to let him know she was okay, that's all he needed.

He poured another glass without noticing it and downed it quickly, replacing that glass with another. Slowly, he got out of his chair, slightly groaning in pain as his muscles and healing wounds ached viciously from the movement. Grabbing his glass, he started to slowly pace, ignoring the aches.

He paced until the chair looked appealing again and sat back down. Briefly, he noticed that during his pacing he'd finished half the bottle. He shook his head, now noticing the slight blurriness of the room. Taking off his glasses, he started to clean them until it clicked in his head that it was the alcohol.

Sighing, he set his glasses down and leaned his head back onto the back of the chair. Closing his eyes, he let his mind play out his hopes that she'd come marching into the room with a smile and a hug. Saying that some new creature had just threatened them and they had a new thing to research together or that she's fine and so happy to see him again or that she had to come by to tell him that- _No, _he thought. He stopped his thoughts there, burying that again.

Not long after he mentally scolded himself, he started to drift off to sleep, not noticing that he was going to severely regret sleeping in the chair.

Until the phone rang, that is.

Xxxxxx

Finally, Willow's worries got the best of her and she picked up her phone. She started to dial Xander's number, then stopped. If she woke up his mother, that wouldn't be good. Her mind travelled over Oz, then the same thought stopped her there.

Deciding that Giles was the only person she could call, she rationalised that he'd probably welcome someone to talk to anyway. Dialing his home number, she let it ring over and over again before deciding to hang up. Even if he was sleeping he'd have woken up and answered, which meant he was at the library.

Dialing that number instead, she waiting longer, knowing it might take him a little while to get to the phone.

Eventually, she heard him answer.

"He..hello?" he asked, his voice gruff.

"Hey, Giles. It's Willow."

"What's wrong? Something happened?" he asked, suddenly sounding worried.

"No, no, everything's okay."

"Oh...well what did you call for?"

"Oh, I just wanted to know how you were doing. If you don't wanna talk to me, I can hang up."

"It's not that I don't like talking to you, Willow. I just figured something was wrong, I didn't expect you to call for anything else." he replied, she noticed he was still slurring although he must be fully awake by now.

"Giles, are you drunk?"

"What? No, of course not. Well..I may have had a few drinks but that's all." he replied, she could mentally see his face as he tried to talk his way out of admitting he was drinking. It made her chuckle.

"At the library?"

"Well, no, I mean..yes. What did you want to know again? Dealing, right. I'm..I'm doing alright. Are you okay?" he asked, stuttering his way out of the drinking conversation. She had to force herself to not laugh at him before answering.

"I'm worried, Giles. I can't even sleep." she said, her face falling a little bit.

"I know how you feel. I take it you've heard no news, then?"

"Nothing. I don't know what to do."

"I feel quite helpless myself, Willow. She'll...she'll come around when she's ready." he said, voicing his hopes.

"So, you think she's okay then?"

"I don't know if she's okay, Willow. But for right now, hope is the only thing that's keeping me sane. I hope she'll come around when she's ready."

"Okay. Are you actually doing okay? I don't mean with the worrying. I mean..the..you know."

"The torture wounds? I'm healing. Hurts, but it's healing." she heard him answer.

"That's good. Well, I guess I'll try to sleep again."

"Good, you need the rest."

"Don't drink too much, Giles." she said.

"I..I won't Willow. Goodnight." he said before hanging up. She heard the line go dead and slowly hung up the phone.

"Goodnight." she muttered, laying back down. Forcing her mind and body to start to relax, she closed her eyes. Just before she might have fallen asleep, her eyes snapped back open.

She sat up abruptly, hearing tapping at her window. Her heart started beating madly in her chest as fear start moving in. Quickly stumbling out of bed, she went over to her dresser and grabbed the emergency stake that Buffy had given her weeks ago.

_Oh, God, oh God, oh no. It's a vampire, it's Angel here to continue his vengeance thingy, oh no. Please don't let it be him. Or any other vampire. _Her mind rambled in blind fear.

Slowly advancing towards her window, she nearly screamed in shock and relief when she recognised the blond girl on the other side. Dropping the stake in surprise, she darted to the window and opened it, dragging her friend into a hug. Buffy hugged back tightly, letting her own tears start to fall when Willow did.

They stayed like that for a little while until they finally released each other. Willow had a huge grin on her face and Buffy gave her a smile back.

"Oh!" exclaimed Willow, startling Buffy who then quickly looked behind her thinking a vampire had shown up.

"What?" asked Buffy, turning back to her.

"I gotta call everyone! Xander and Giles and-" she started rambling, moving towards her phone. Buffy stopped her.

"Not yet."

"But they're worried sick. I mean, Giles is drinking at the library. We can't leave them like that." argued Willow.

"We can for one night, please. I had a favour I wanted to ask you, anyway." reasoned Buffy. Willow stopped and looked at her.

"What favour?"

"Before I tell you what it is, we have to make a pact. A pact that we'll never tell anyone about this. Deal?"

"No one at all?"

"No one at all." repeated Buffy. Willow shrugged.

"Okay, sure."

"Good. What do you know about time travel with magic?" asked Buffy. Willow's face was of complete confusion.

"What? Why? I thought maybe it would be me doing your homework for a few weeks or something."

"Sorry, Wil. Well, what do you know about it? I know you've gone through a lot of Miss Calender's stuff. Was anything like that in there?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"Can you do it?" asked Buffy, cutting her off.

"Yeah but-"

"Then let's do it."

"But Buffy, why?"

"Is it hard or does it take a long time or something?"

"No, but I won't do it until you tell me why." said Willow, defiantly as she crossed her arms. Buffy sighed and sat down in Willow's computer chair.

"This is gonna seem really random and strange."

"It already seems really random and strange." replied Willow, walking over and sitting on the bed.

"You remember when Ethan Rayne was here causing all that trouble?"

"Yeah."

"You remember Ethan continuously calling Giles 'Ripper' and making references to their past and stuff?"

"Yep." said Willow.

"Well, I'm interested and have been ever since. I figure we can count this as my vacation."

"Okay..." said Willow slowly.

"Come on Wil, put the pieces together, you can do it."

"You want to go back to then? To Ethan and Giles in England a long time ago..whenever that was?" asked Willow after a minute.

"Yeah, I figure it'll be fun and pretty eye opening. I mean, I think that'll be the Giles I might be able to relate to."

"How?"

"Because that's when he was being defiant towards his father's wishes, trying to refuse to ever be a Watcher. Trying to fight his destiny, like I do sometimes." said Buffy, her voice a little quiet at the end of her statement.

"But, you can relate to him now too. I mean, he did go through that and obviously remembers it."

"True, but when I start going down the 'What if I just don't wanna do this anymore' path he gets all...Gilesy and lectures me."

"Well, I guess this isn't all that bad of an idea but...I don't know what time or place to send you back to."

"Uh, England. A few decades ago, I guess." suggested Buffy.

"Nice try Buff, but I gotta be a little more precise than that."

"Well, get on the net. Go to Giles' school file, it should be in there."

"Oh, good point." said Willow as she jumped up and they switched seats. In a few minutes, Willow pulled up the file and scanned through it.

"Anything helpful?" asked Buffy.

"Yeah. Okay. Do you know exactly what age of his you want to go back to?"

"Hm...My age, I guess."

"Okay. He'd have been seventeen in 1971, you're sure that's when he was hanging with Ethan?"

"I think so. When do the English go from regular school to a college?"

"Well, they go from regular school, to secondary school, then maybe to a college. But it should be right around then." said Willow, seeming to believe it.

"Let's do it then. Can't be too drastically far off." said Buffy.

"Okay then. Want me to tell you how all this works?" asked Willow, now pulling up a file she'd emailed herself from Miss Calendar's files.

"That'd be nice, yeah."

"Okay. I don't know exactly where in London it will drop you, but it should be relatively close to wherever he is. From where I'm at, no time should pass no matter how long you're there."

"So even if in that time I'm there for weeks I'll come back only a second after you sent me?"

"Yep. One thing though, there's a cardinal rule that I don't think you'll be able to follow."

"What?"

"You can't change anything. You can't do or say anything that would change the future or something really bad could happen." said Willow.

"Is there some sub spell you could use?"

"Yeah, but that makes it so we have no idea how much time you'll spend there, in their time. Which means, we can use it, but if you don't like how things are going you still can't come back until the spell decides to wear off. And that could mean you spend a day there or weeks there." explained Willow. Buffy thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, I mean, how bad could it be? It's just Giles." she said, not having a single clue just how bad it could be. Willow didn't either and so nodded and went about preparing for the spell while further explaining the sub spell.

"What we're doing with this is making it so once you come back, time will revert to right before you showed up and he'll never remember anything about meeting you. In fact, I think the sub spell erases it from existance. Cool?" asked Willow. Buffy smiled and nodded, wondering what would go wrong since this was all working so well.

A few minutes later, they were performing a rarely used spell that would transport Buffy to what she was severely underestimating. The dangerous, troublesome young man her Watcher used to be.

***(okay...there's the first chapter..please leave a review. I hope this doesn't seem rushed. the only part that was supposed to slightly seem as such was the end when they were planning and putting the spell into motion...thanks for reading...i look forward for reviews. **

**and really, i really really need reviews...I can't tell if this is shit or not and don't have too much confidence in it. I usually think and stew on ideas far longer than i did with this...**

**and i promise this shall get rated M eventually...in fact, i think fairly soon, dear Ripper was a very naughty boy...)***


	2. Ripper

I don't own Buffy The Vampire Slayer or any of its characters.

**Note: hope you enjoyed that and are hooked...if not, this chapter should do it. This chapter and all until she comes back from the time travel will be her in London. From her perspective and Ripper's at times. **

**Time for some naughty young Giles...muahahahahaha.**

**eligin: thanks for your review, answers will show up eventually. Good to know you're sticking around, I eagerly await your next review.**

**DoctorLia: Thank you! here's the chapter, i can't wait for your review to this one.**

What Time Can Do

Chapter Two: Ripper

Buffy missed hearing the odd words of the chant that Willow spoke as her mind reeled, nerves finally kicked up, and her ears started to ring as the spell began to work. Not long after, her vision blurred and spun. All she could see was spinning colours.

It felt as though she was on a roller coaster as her stomach dropped and shook around. Her skin went from hot to cold and back again. Then, as soon as it had started, it stopped. Her eyes were clenched shut to not puke from the spinning sensation and slowly eased open.

Refraining from a gasp, she stared at the damp stone wall in front of her with wonder.

"It worked." she breathed, then wished she hadn't as a mix of refreshing rain scent mixed with a rush of cigarette smoke. Looking around, she took in the sight. This was an old area of London, she could tell. Cobble stoned street and old buildings all around her in the tiny alley she was in. If she let her imagination wander, she could almost picture Jack The Ripper stalking down the alley or something.

Suddenly she heard Giles scolding her in the back of her mind, reminding her that Jack The Ripper did all his madness in Whitechapel. She chuckled then stopped as a door right next to her swung open and three men stumbled out, apparently in a vicious fist fight. It seemed to be two on one and she almost stepped in until she saw that that one could certainly take care of himself.

The one fighting alone dropped one of the pair attacking him with a cruel smashing of the man's head into the wall behind him. As the unconscious man fell, Buffy saw his skull was split and bleeding profusely. Her attention quickly returned to the still ensuing fight as the man who'd caused the damage to the one on the ground dropped the other guy as well.

He buried his knee into the man's crotch, grabbed the man by the hair, and pounded his face with a strong right fist five times before letting him fall.

Buffy took in the sight of this man and finally was able to see his face clearly, to her total astonishment. No matter how young, she couldn't ever mistake those green eyes, although right now they were filled with a lot more malice than she'd ever seen. Blood stained the front of young Giles' shirt, his hands, and his own blood spilled from his nose.

He felt eyes on him and finally looked at her, noticing her for the first time. Apparently, the sight of a girl made him completely forget about the blood pouring out of his nose and the two unconscious men on the floor as he smiled at her. It was a very charming smile, really, despite the blood all over.

"Ello, love." he greeted her, his accent much heavier than she'd ever heard. She found herself stunned by this image of him in tight, ripped jeans, a rugged leather jacket, a dirty white t-shirt, slicked rockabilly hair, and the flirty smirk on his face.

Just as stunned as she was of his appearance, he'd never seen anything like her and was shocked by her appearance. She wore tight jeans herself, with a tight tank top that was from her time, and a jean jacket that was far from in style or probably even made in 1971. Not to mention how her hair was put up. He liked it.

He slowly approached her and, still stunned that this was Giles, she backed into the wall. He didn't stop approaching and placed his hand on the wall right next to her head and leaned on it. She didn't know what to do, any other guy and she'd knock him on his ass for invading her space like that. But this was Giles, he shouldn't be acting like this. What the hell? Even though he didn't know her yet and have that friendship with her, he still shouldn't be like this. She'd never pictured this.

"Where you from, darlin?" he asked, blatantly looking her up and down. Now, her defensive temper kicked in.

"From a place where guys don't invade your space like a perv, how about you?" she asked, coldly. His smirk grew at her challenging attitude.

"You're a lil Spitfire, aren't ya?" he asked, not backing off. Something in her belly started getting fluttery but her pride was furious at his arrogance.

"I might show you just how much so if you don't get out of my face." she threatened, invading his space a little bit. She once again underestimated him and was beyond shocked by what he did in response.

He closed the rest of the space between them in half a second, crushing his lips to her's. Pinning her between himself and the wall, she couldn't pull away. In her own surprise, she found her body refusing to obey her brain when it said to punch him in the stomach. It was the strangest kiss she'd ever had, but somehow the best.

Oddly enough, the blood from his nose that was resting on his lips didn't bother her at all. His lips were soft and he certainly knew how to give a good kiss, forcing a response out of her whether she wanted to give one or not. Her brain shut off briefly when his tongue forced her lips apart and shot passed them.

Feeling his tongue exploring her mouth was almost her undoing. She could taste the liquer he'd been drinking, cigarettes, some of his coppery blood, and what was just the taste of him. Reaching one hand around his neck, she ran her fingers through his hair. Her other hand went under the front of his shirt, pleasantly surprising her as it ran across hairy, sculpted abs.

She wasn't completely stunned when his hands tried to follow her lead. However, it was then that something in the back of her brain decided to click back on and return to reality. This was Giles! What the Hell was she doing! Young or not this was still her Watcher, she couldn't do this!

She let go of the back of his head and used the hand on his abdomen to push him away. The kiss broke abruptly and he stumbled backwards, startled by her strength. He hit the opposite wall and stared at her in awe, a smirk slowly returning to his face. She felt an urge to wipe the smirk off his face but repressed it.

"Too much, precious?" he teased, still leaning his back against the wall. She gave him the best glare she could that resembled one from the Giles that she was used to. He laughed, and she felt that fluttery thing again, but decided to ignore it.

"Hm, let's say that where I'm from, most guys don't shove their tongues in girls' mouths when they first meet." she said.

"Aw, well I'm not the average male, love." he said, getting off the wall and approaching again.

"This is not what I expected to find." she sighed.

"Eh?" he asked, looking confused. His confused expression was the exact same one she knew and she suddenly felt a bit more at ease.

"I said..uh..If I don't get a drink, I'll lose my mind." she replied, internally kicking herself. _Great one Buff, you definitely need to get drunk with this guy. _She scolded herself. He smiled again at her answer, pulling two cigarettes out from his jacket. He reached out to give her one but she shook her head.

"Oh, I don't smoke." she protested. He shrugged and put the one he'd handed out behind his ear, then lit the one he'd set in his mouth.

As much as she hated smokers, she had to admit, he made it look quite tasty. She mentally roundhouse kicked herself for that thought, what was going on with her?

"Let's not dick around then, eh love?" he said, she shook herself out of her mental scolding.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Want that drink now?" he asked again, putting emphasis on each word as he said it slowly. She put on an assuring smile, getting fluttery again when she saw it made him smile.

"Oh, yeah, sure." she said, startled when he apparently hadn't learned his lesson and invaded space again by wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She didn't attack this time, finding it much less intrusive, and let him lead her into the pub he'd just been tossed out of during that fight.

"Think you can do us a favour, love?" he asked as they entered the smoke filled pub where punk music was blasting and a mosh pit was in session by the jukebox.

"Um, what's this favour?" she asked.

"I just need ya to put your sweet charm on that barkeep for me, just for a minute. Fair enough?"

"Why?"

"You'll see." he said, stopping and staring at her with his eyebrows raised as he waited for a response, another comforting gesture she knew well.

"Alright." she said, shrugging and wondering why she was agreeing to this. Whatever this was. She walked to the bar, him behind her motioning for her to go to the end of the bar. She did and stared at the middle aged man cleaning a glass.

"What can I do for ya?" asked the barkeep.

"I don't know, handsome, what can you do for me?" asked Buffy, fighting the urge to puke as she called him that. As the man froze in his cleaning and stared at her, she saw Giles snag a bottle of liquer from behind the man and sneak away, shoving it in his jacket. He made his way over just as the barkeep was about to answer.

"Oi, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Giles nearly shouted at the barkeep. The man glared at him in exasperation.

"Piss off, Ripper. I've already had enough of you tonight." snarled the barkeep.

"I asked you a question mate, I advise ya to answer." snarled Giles.

"I was about to answer this pretty lady here, Ripper, mind your own damn business." answered the man. Ripper/Giles responded by grabbing the man by his shirt and nearly yanking him across the bar. Buffy almost intervened but decided she'd better just stay out of it unless Giles went overboard, well overboard any further.

"This here's my pretty lady, ya bellend. You mind your fucking business." snarled Ripper, his face less than an inch from the barkeep's, whose eyes had gone wide. He raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Take it easy, Rip. Sorry." stuttered the man, Ripper let go of him and smirked.

"Good, we'll be going then." replied Ripper, grabbing the completely astonished Buffy and leading her outside again, through a different door this time. Here, Buffy got a much better view of darker London. It was beautiful, in the gothic manner few people would aknowledge.

"Um...where are we going?" she asked as he pulled the liquer bottle out of his jacket and tossed his cigarette to the ground.

"That was quite sexy, you being distracting and all." he said, completely disregarding her question. Despite her pride still not liking him, she found herself blushing.

"I don't think that was an answer to my question."

"You're a naughty lil yank, aren't you?" he asked, still ignoring her question. She stopped walking, forcing him to stop and turn to her as he took a swig from the liquer bottle. Swallowing the alcohol with a slight grimace, he raised his eyebrows at her.

"You ever going to answer my question?" she asked.

"Sure. There, it's answered."

"Uh uh. My first question, I guess you didn't hear me. I asked where we're going." she said.

"Oh I heard ya, I just found what I had to say was more important at the time. I dunno where we're goin, just walkin." he said, giving her a wink before getting them walking again. Unlike her usual self, she found she didn't like just going with the flow for once. It felt...dangerous with him like this. Dangerous in a way she wasn't used to, in a way she couldn't explain.

"How come we can't just go somewhere? And who said I was gonna go anywhere with you anyway?" she exclaimed suddenly, stopping again and pulling away from him. Her pride had kicked back in and apparently wasn't going down without a fight.

"What's the matter, kitten? Don't ya like me?" he slurred at her, smirking again.

"Maybe, maybe not. Why are you smirking?" she asked, addressing what was annoying her most.

"I like rufflin your feathers, love." he said, winking at her.

"So you're aware that that smirk annoys the Hell out of me?"

"Absolutely."

"Hm. I don't think I wanna be your company any longer." she said, turning. A small voice in her head yelled at her that this was the only person she knew, another voice yelled back that she had no idea who this man was but he certainly wasn't Giles. Before the internal voices could argue again, she felt a strong hand snag her arm and spin her around.

He turned her and got into her face, fury threatening to overwhelm him. Who the Hell did she think she was? She think she was too good for him? He was offering her a drink and some company and she was what? Going to repay him by insulting him and walking away. Hell no, he didn't think so. And why did he care so much?

Letting out his frustration with a slight growl, he pulled out of his mental rants and turned his total attention to her.

"Where the bloody Hell are you goin?" he snarled, he could see she was startled and maybe even a little frightened by his anger. This made him feel a bit triumphant, but it wasn't enough to quell his fury.

"Away from you." she snarled back, yanking her arm out of his grasp. He tossed the liquer bottle, distantly hearing it smash somewhere as he took quick steps towards her and grabbed her again. This time, his hand wrapped tighter around her arm.

She felt him grap her again, her nerves starting to go into overdrive. This actually scared her and she didn't like it. She'd fought demons, monsters, vampires but this was scaring her. Scaring her because she'd placed the trust in this young Giles that she placed in the older Giles she knew. And she was now learning the hard way, that that was the wrong thing to do.

"Let go of me, _now!_" she replied, not moving just yet as he forced her face him again.

"Or what?" he challenged. Much of his fury left as total confusion hit him when she suddenly smiled.

"You sure you wanna challenge me, Giles?" she asked, praying he'd continue. Yes, she had moved past the fact that this was Giles and now severely wanted to hurt him for this.

"How do you know my name?" he asked, giving her arm a rough shake. Instead of answering him in the way most people answer a question, she punched him in the stomach, smiling when he let go of her and doubled over.

He put his hand at his stomach, astonished that one punch from this petite girl hurt more than he'd ever been hit in his life. And he'd been in more fights than he could count, with blokes bigger than himself even. His breath slowly came back to him and he looked up at her, favouring his stomach with one hand.

"I don't wanna have to hurt ya, love." he said, feeling angry again when she laughed.

"Ha, I think I should be saying that to you." she replied.

"Look, I bloody well mean it. Don't make me hurt you." he said, his voice firm and serious. He was lying of course. Ripper didn't have many lines he wouldn't cross, but hitting a woman was one of them. He hoped his voice and expression were enough to scare her out of provoking him further.

Unfortunately, he had no idea she knew his future self so well. In other words, even if she didn't have Slayer strength that would overwhelm him, she could tell when he was lying. He had that look that resembled doubt on his face, which he'd always get when he lied. Apparently, that was a trait of his that had never changed.

As her mind wandered over what Willow had told her, why she'd wanted to do this, and him, she decided it might be best to play along with his little lie. To an extent. She'd noticed that he liked her for her toughness, which meant she couldn't play the "I'm suddenly a fragile little girl" thing. He wouldn't buy it and might even just leave her.

"Then don't piss me off." she said, taking a tactful tiny step back that would seem to him as if she was trying to hide fear. She repressed a smile of triumph as she saw him buy it. He was still holding his stomach and breathing heavily, which also made her proud of herself.

"Where'd...where'd you learn to hit like that, love?" he asked, apparently not angry anymore. She knew the slight stutter was from trying to catch his breath, but it was also something she was used to for him and it made her feel more at ease again.

"I'm just the fighting type." she replied, shrugging.

"Still, love." he protested, not believing it was simply natural.

"Well, back home I've got a good trainer, I guess." she said, not able to hide a smile at the irony. He startled her by laughing heartily, it was sound that made her smile grow until she was chuckling.

"I'd say. Anyway, where'd ya wanna go?" he asked, once he'd gotten his laughter under control.

"Um...Gee, I don't know. I'd kinda rather not wander the streets aimlessly, though." she replied, deciding that there wasn't too much of a risk. Suddenly, it all came back to her. She saw this in a different light, now. This was her chance to enjoy a completely irresponsible Giles, in the past, in a different country that she'd always wanted to visit anyway.

Whatever happened here, wouldn't matter anymore as soon as the spell wore off and she was brought back to the present. Suddenly feeling like a kid in a candy shop, she realised that this could be a whole lot of fun.

"You been many places here yet?" he asked.

"Uh, nope."

"Good, let's go then." he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Where? For what?" she asked, despite her decision to just go anyway.

"The answer to your first question is: my London. The answer to your second question is: to be trouble, of course." he replied.

"Alright, I'm all yours." she said, grabbing his hand and wondering briefly if she'd regret that statement.

***(muahaha! **

**i've no idea why that's my first response to finishing this chapter but it just is.**

**I just watched the "Prom" episode from i think Season 3...oh god...Giles in that tux nearly ruined me...see, i'd somehow forgotten how delicious he looked in it.**

**just something about him...makes me...well, i suppose Horny would be the word. ha. too much? haha. **

**Please leave a review...sorry for the rambling...i've just gone roughly twenty two hours without sleep...does strange things to me.)***


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